BOXING: SoCal middleweight hot spot

Southern California is home to several of the top middleweight boxers and
East LA’s Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora eagerly wants membership into that
exclusive club.

Mora (24-3-2, 7 KOs) may have acquired backstage access when he defeated
Poland’s dangerous Grzegorz Proksa (29-3, 21 KOs) by unanimous decision before a
televised audience in Jacksonville, Fla. The victory on Friday against the
middleweight contender opened eyes in the boxing world.

Big Bear’s Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (27-0, 24 KOs) fought on Saturday and also
convinced boxing experts that he belongs among the more respected fighters in
the world. His knockout victory over United Kingdom’s Matthew Macklin (29-5) was
an emphatic statement.

Gennady, the WBA and IBO titleholder, was facing a skeptical boxing world
that felt his undefeated record was the product of careful manipulation. Many
pointed toward previous opponents and proclaimed them to be a rabble of junior
middleweight fodder.

Well, that all changed abruptly when Golovkin crumbled legit middleweight
challenger Macklin like a termite riddled wooden statue. It took a mere three
rounds before Golovkin found the perfect position for his vaunted left hook to
the body. Down went Macklin for good.

Could Mora and Golovkin’s near simultaneous wins place them in a headlong
collision at the end of the summer?

“I hear he wants to fight in LA. I’m a former world champion and have never
been knocked out,” said Mora, a former junior middleweight world champion. “I’m
here for them. If I have to take another solid middleweight fight I’m open for
that too.”

Mora said that he received a call in the spring to journey up the mountain
and provide Golovkin with sparring. The money offered to serve as a practice
partner was very good, but the former winner of “The Contender” television
reality program politely declined.

“I told Golovkin’s people I’m not a sparring partner and that I want to fight
him,” said Mora, who was intrigued for a minute before realizing it might not be
beneficial. “My trainer said they may just be trying to test me out. Guys who
face me always do better the second time.”

Mora’s victory over Proksa provides an interesting note. Golovkin has
maintained that the Polish southpaw was his toughest opponent so far in his
nine-year professional career.

“I’m pretty shocked that Golovkin said Proksa was his toughest fight, because
he was very easy for me,” said Mora, who won by unanimous decision. “It’s rare
when you get out of a fight with nary a scratch … he’s (Proksa) a smaller
version of Sergio Martinez.”

Socal connections

Martinez is the WBC middleweight titlist and has recently been sidelined with
various injuries. He’s from Argentina but lives in Oxnard and is a southpaw
speedster with good power.

Last September, Martinez defeated a Southern California native in Julio Cesar
Chavez Jr., who attended Ramona High School in Riverside. Both talented
middleweights are still among the more popular 160-pounders in the world. Chavez
is set to face Brian Vera on Sept. 7, at the Staples Center in LA.

WBO middleweight titlist Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillen also lives and trains
in Southern California. The Cuban-American calls the Wild Card Boxing gym in
Hollywood his home base. He’s been seeking a confrontation with Golovkin or any
other top middleweight.

Southern California seems to have a monopoly on top middleweights.

“I think the middleweight division is on an even keel,” said Mora by cell
phone on Saturday. “Danny Geare, Golovkin, Sergio Martinez, Chavez and Peter
Quillen who hasn’t fought anyone either but could give anyone trouble. I would
love to fight whoever people think is the best.”